1. وكُنْتُ أَرى في النَّوْمِ هَجْرُكَ ساعة

    فَأَجْفو لَذيذَ النَّوْمِ حَوْلاً تَطَيُّرا

    I used to dream of your forsaking me for an hour,

    then shun sweet sleep for a year, taking it as an ill omen.

  2. وتَأْمُرُني بِالصَّبْرِ والقَلْبُ كُلَّما

    تَقاضَيْتُهُ صَبْراً تَقَاضَيْتُ مُعْسِرا

    And you bid me be patient, though my heart—whenever

    I demand patience of it, I press an insolvent debtor.

  3. فَلَمّا رَأَيْتُ الغَدَّرَ مِنْ شَأْنِكَ اغْتَدى

    غَديرَ التَّصافي بَيْنَنا مُتَكَدِّرا

    When I saw that treachery was your way,

    the pool of mutual affection between us grew turbid.

  4. فَوَاللهِ ما أَهْواكَ إِلاَّ تَكَلُّفاً

    ولا أَشْتَكي الهُجْرانَ إِلاَّ تَخَمُّرا

    So, by God, I love you only by forcing myself,

    and complain of separation only in drunkenness.